Review and Act on the CEAS Climate Action Plan
The Clean Energy and Sustainability (CEAS) committee’s plan will help us meet the “2050 Net Zero” goals established by the Commonwealth and adopted for Chelmsford at Spring Town Meeting 2021. Following the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s Municipal Net Zero Playbook, the plan describes five primary actions we can take in Town over the next 25 years: 1) increase use and generation of solar energy; 3) increase energy efficiency of our buildings; 4) electrify heating and cooling of buildings; 5) drive more electric vehicles.
- Read the draft posted on the town website
- Familiarize yourself with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s Municipal Net Zero Playbook
- Check out the Massachusetts incentives for energy audits and weatherization
- Check out the Federal incentives for electric vehicles and building energy improvements
- Choose "Chelmsford Choice” for savings on electricity costs and options to increase your use of renewable electricity
- Send comments on the plan to committee member Bern Kosicki (kosicki@verizon.net) with a subject line "Action Plan Comment"
Use Renewable Energy
- Opt-Up to renewable energy on your electric bill through Chelmsford Choice (this alone will cut your emissions by 20%)!
- Install solar panels, if feasible. You can get them for free through something called a Power Purchase Agreement.
- Weatherize your home (energy conservation reduces need for fuel). In MA, this is heavily subsidized or free through MassSave.
- Plan to install heat pumps when new heating system required
- Use your current car as long as you can, but then plan to replace it with an electric vehicle
Educate Yourself and Family
Getting to know more about climate change, the environment, and sustainability, is fun! There are so many great books and YouTube videos for you to experience. Take a look at this collection put together for you and your family. Check our recommendations, for information and/or inspiration!
Here’s a snip from the top of the graphical list put together by Tamar.
Rethink Your Lawn
Buy Less Stuff
- Everything we buy uses fossil fuel energy to produce
- Buy only what you need – avoid impulse purchasing
- Avoid cheap fashion – buy clothes to last
Eat Less Meat
- Animals require MANY times more land for grazing and growing feed than plants
- A football field of rainforest is cut down every 4 seconds mostly to raise cattle and grow their food
- Cows burp methane, a potent greenhouse gas 25x stronger than CO2
- Reduce food waste – decaying food in landfills produces methane
Eat Food with Lowest Supply Chain GHGs
Vote Green
- Vote for political candidates who support climate legislation
- Support elected officials working to address climate change
Talk about Global Warming!
People often argue that “talking” doesn’t provide any solutions but there’s no way to get to a solution if people don’t believe in the problem. In the video below, you’ll hear how to get people to believe there’s a problem so that they want to accomplish a solution. The objective is to “win the hearts and minds” of people who may not be aware of environmental issues, or who may be on the other end of the political spectrum. You are here on this page now because someone talked to you about environmental issues. Simply providing people with action items (like the list above) won’t accomplish anything unless the people reading that list actually believe what you’re saying and understand they can play an active role in helping to find a solution.
Reduce your digital footprint
- Turn off your screen during Zoom meetings except when raising hand and speaking or greeting
- Put less photos in your email
- Read more books and stream fewer movies
